Camlann
by randomostrichchocolates
Summary: During the excruciating circumstances of the Battle of Camlann, Merlin does what he believes must be done for the future of Albion.


**Ohmygod I haven't written fanfiction in forever. This is my first venture back into the fanfic world and I'm doing it through Merlin because, well, the show is ending so I might as well contribute. Reviews are golden hugs despite what you say in them (but don't be too mean to me because I might just cry. Fair warning.) This is kind of inspired by a post I saw on tumblr.**

**NOW ON TO THE FIC.**

**Camlann**

**[Disclaimer: The characters and places are not mine and they belong to the BBC and the various authors of Arthurian legend.]**

* * *

Merlin breathed out hard, clenching and unclenching his fists. Arthur looked over at his manservant by his side and smiled, though it looked slightly out of place at the moment. "Don't tell me you're _scared_, Merlin." He said in that slightly condescending tone of his.

Merlin gulped audibly. "Me? Scared? Never." And Merlin wasn't scared. Well, he was. Maybe a bit, but not for himself. He looked over at his king and bit his lip in distress. The Battle of Camlann was upon them and Merlin would be lying if he said he was not stressing over Arthur's prophesized death and how he could stop it. There was also the fact that Merlin was quite sure this was the battle that would reveal his magic to Arthur, which was a mountain to climb on its own. "Just nervous, sire. That's all."

Arthur looked over, his brow furrowed with something akin to concern. "Merlin…"

"Yes, sire?"

"In case this doesn't…" Arthur paused, unsure of how to phrase what he meant to say. "Um… doesn't end well, I wanted to say…" He paused again. Merlin looked over at him in confusion, waiting. "Well, I wanted to say thank you, you know, for everything. You may be the most atrocious manservant in the world, but you've been a good friend. So, thank you."

Merlin looked at Arthur in concern. He didn't reply for a few seconds before faking one of his signature 'idiot' smiles and saying "Well, no need to go all sappy on me, Arthur. And you call me a girl." But he caught Arthur's eye, nodding to him in understanding.

"That's because you are a girl, Merlin."

"Is that really what you want your last words to me to be?"

"No, my last words to you will be 'you're an idiot'."

* * *

Merlin had succeeded in stabbing another enemy with a flying javelin when he was knocked to the side. Disoriented, he looked up to see an armed man about to plunge his sword into Merlin's exposed stomach. He had barely enough time to think of a spell to counter the attacker when another sword appeared out of nowhere and cut the man's throat.

"Really, Merlin, don't get yourself killed or I won't forgive you." Gawain laughed at him, helping him to his feet. The knight's shoulder had a stab wound but other than that, he seemed to be faring quite well, given circumstance. He had even managed to keep his hair from becoming disarrayed.

"You sure you don't need that shoulder looked at?" Merlin asked in slight worry.

"Nah. 'Tis but a scratch." Though Gawain was still smiling, Merlin could see the grimace of pain behind the façade but decided not to press the issue. Gawain could take care of himself. Instead, Merlin chose to ask a more pressing question.

"Have you seen Arthur?"

Gawain nodded in the direction behind Merlin. He turned to see Arthur fighting an unknown swordsman who seemed to be giving the king quite a fight. Merlin sighed in relief to know that he was still alright and that the horrors of Camlann were yet to pass.

However, all of a sudden, Merlin heard the gallop of hooves and looked up. He heard Gawain growl slightly beside him. It seems Merlin always spoke to soon because Morgana had arrived.

* * *

Arthur had just killed his opponent when he found himself knocked back by an invisible force. His heart seemed to jump to his throat when he looked up to see Morgana's face. She smiled at him, in her twisted sort of way. Arthur tried to reach for Excalibur, which had been knocked out of his hand, only to have Morgana press him down again with her magic. She laughed cruelly as he struggled helplessly.

"This feels so liberating. All these years, I've struggled with subtlety but now, finally, I have you right here at my mercy. I could snap your neck right now without a moment's thought but no. That's too kind for you, Arthur. You deserve to die in a much more creative and painful way." She was still smiling in that unnerving way only she had. At Arthur's lack of reaction to her taunts, the frustration began to show. "Nothing to say, Arthur? After everything? Don't be so unkind, I am your _sister_, after all."

"You were my sister, Morgana, but now you're nothing more than a woman blinded by hatred." Arthur replied calmly.

Her eyes flashed with rage. "What? Have you written off the fact that we grew up together just because _I have magic_?"

"It is not what you are, Morgana, but what you do."

There was that rage again. Morgana raised her hand at Arthur and he braced himself when he heard a shout, and there was Gawain, running towards the sorceress, sword raised for attack. And then the Knight fell, with a loud crack and Arthur looked over in horror to see Gawain's neck twisted horribly, unnaturally. _No, _Arthur thought in horror, his mind refusing to process the scene in front of him. "See, Arthur?" Morgana started again. "You and your pretty little knights can't do anything to stop me. I've won. I'm going to have my throne. And I'm going to enjoy killing you slowly, cracking every bone in your body and not even your bloody, precious Emrys is going to stop me."

Morgana's opened her mouth, probably to utter a spell of some sort, but suddenly, there was a shift in the air. He could tell that Morgana had felt it too because she had paused and looked around her in… was it fear? He could feel the power in the air, the way it crackled around him and Morgana in warning and that was when his eyes landed on Merlin who had stood up and made his way over to them. "I think you'll find that he can and will stop you."

* * *

Something deep inside Merlin had broken when Gawain had fallen. He looked at Morgana and for the first time, instead of mere pity for what she had become, he felt true hate. It coursed through him, making him want to fling the sorceress aside and snap her neck the same way she had done to his friend. And then she had the bloody nerve to threaten his king and _even_ go as far as to say he couldn't stop her. Well, quite frankly, Merlin was done. He glared at Morgana and stepped in between her and his king. He could feel Arthur's eyes burning into his back and tensed, realizing everything was about to come out, all the secrets, all the lies, Arthur would know everything.

Morgana looked at him in pure shock and disbelief. "You? You're Emrys?" She narrowed her eyes at Merlin. "You can't be."

Merlin's eyes flashed golden and suddenly Morgana was flying off her horse and onto the ground. He walked towards the witch, slowly, each step taken with calculated precision. "Emrys is what the Druids call me. I have power you could only wish to achieve. I will protect Arthur Pendragon because that is my destiny, just as it is his destiny to become to Once and Future King."

Morgana's eyes widened in realization which seemed to be slowly morphing into utter fear. "I think you should realize," Merlin continued "that I don't take it lightly when people hurt my friends." As if in response to his words, the clouds began to darken and rumble.

"You… you…" Morgana started. "Why do you protect him?" She looked at Arthur, who hadn't uttered a word throughout the whole ordeal. "He would have you dead for what you are. As a matter of fact, he probably will when this battle ends."

"That doesn't matter to me." And Merlin, himself, was surprised to know that the words were the truth. "He is my king and I will take his judgment, whatever it may be. I trust him to make the right decisions for the good of Albion."

Morgana scoffed at him. "Well, then you're a fool, Merlin." She raised her palm. "**Ástríce**!"

Merlin had not even blinked before a shield was lifted, blocking the pure energy Morgana had shot at him. "I don't think you quite understand, Morgana." Her eyes widened in confusion. "I'm much more powerful than you." Time seemed to stand still as Merlin, his eyes tired and worn from everything that had happened that day, flashed gold once again. "**F****ulminis ****igne ****observatis**** p****ercutiat ****huic hosti**." For a second, nothing happened. And then Morgana was burning, from the inside out. The smell of burnt flesh was pungent and Merlin sagged from exertion. He had used up a lot of his energy with that last spell. However, his exhaustion led him to stop being cautious, to believe that the battle was very much over.

"MERLIN!" A voice behind him, Arthur, shouted, in alarm. Merlin didn't have time to protect himself and was thrust back by a strange new force. And Merlin knew. _Mordred. It's happening._

"Hello, Emrys." The words were strange when he heard them out loud, after all those years of Mordred saying the same through his thoughts. Merlin was unable to move, trapped by Mordred's spell. "I told you once before. I shall never forgive and I shall never forget. I've also told you that you would pay for what you did. I know now that killing you wouldn't be enough. You must feel the same pain I felt when you helped destroy my home, when you helped kill the ones… the one I loved." Mordred's eyes flashed towards Arthur and Merlin could only look on in horror as his nightmare unfolded before him. "You must feel the pain of losing those you love, Emrys. Then… then you will truly repent."

"No…" Merlin choked out as Mordred walked towards Arthur who was carefully standing up, but was obviously still too wounded to defend himself. Arthur stared at Mordred, his eyes filling with hurt and a strange sort of… concern. And then Mordred was drawing his sword. And time seemed to slow as the former knight of Camelot thrust the weapon into the king's stomach. Arthur doubled over, falling to his knees.

"NO!" Merlin's voice was a shout now. His magic was streaming out wildly, without control, as the warlock was overcome with anger and grief. And all of a sudden, Mordred was crumbling, as if struck. Merlin, in his intent to destroy, to protect, to kill any threat to Arthur had acted on its own and Mordred's throat had closed and the druid couldn't breathe and then it was over. All Merlin could do was watch.

* * *

Arthur had watched everything that had happened in the past few minutes with an overwhelming mixture of emotions that prevented him from speaking. Merlin… his idiotic, bumbling, manservant Merlin… a sorcerer? It didn't seem to make sense to his head. But as the conversation with Morgana progressed, the pieces slowly began falling together. The mysterious way he had survived the incident with the Questing Beast; the aiding orb of light that had helped him in his search for the Mortius flower; the convenient tree branches falling on bandits that attacked; the bridgekeeper's words when he went to retrieve the trident of the Fisher King. It seemed his useless servant wasn't so useless after all.

But then Mordred had arrived and something had happened. It was all a bit fuzzy now. And Arthur couldn't understand how he had come to be laying on the ground and there was blood, oh god, there was so much blood. He could feel the searing pain of the wound. Arthur was not exactly sure what had happened. He hoped that Merlin wasn't hurt. He hoped his knights were fine. It seemed strange, that after everything he'd been through, he'd die from a simple sword. Where was all this blood coming from?

And then Merlin was there. He seemed to be crawling towards Arthur and Arthur was worried. Was Merlin hurt? That wouldn't be good. How was Arthur supposed to reward his servant if he died on him? "Don't… die…" he muttered at the warlock as he came closer. Merlin choked. He was crying. Why was Merlin crying?

"Why are you still looking out for other people?" Merlin whispered near him, though to Arthur's rattled mind, the whisper felt like a shout. "You're such an ungrateful prat, Arthur. Do you know how hard it is to constantly save someone who has a death wish like you do? And then you go and try to die on me… I won't let you." Arthur was confused. He was dying? When did that happen?

"'Re… a… 'orcerer." Arthur tried to breathe out but found out that his breath was stuck in his throat. It hurt.

"Yes, I am." Merlin's eyes seemed to be glowing and he smiled at Arthur through his tears. "And I'm going to fix you, Arthur. It's all going to be alright." It was? Well, that was good to know, at least. And then Merlin's hand was on top of Arthur's stab wound and it seemed like that was glowing as well. "**Aufero ****vulnera ab ****hoc homine. ****Infligere ****eos super ****me**."

The blood was still there but it seemed like the wound had closed. Arthur felt his senses returning. Merlin had done it. He'd actually done it! Arthur felt like cheering before he realized his servant was strangely still. Arthur sat up and looked down at Merlin, who's tunic was being soaked with blood from a wound that had not been there moments before. "What happened, Merlin? What did you do?!"

Merlin smile looked more like a grimace. "S'rry, 'rthur. You 'ave to… give a life… to 'et one." Arthur's eyes widened in realization and horror.

"No! No, no, no! Merlin!" Arthur was panicking. "Why would you do that, Merlin? No, you _cannot _die!"

"I must 'rthur." Merlin said, gasping in breaths. "You 'ave to live… 'ave to build 'lbion."

"No…" Arthur's voice was a whisper now. "Please, Merlin, don't die. Please…" He was pleading, the tears already streaming down his face. "You're an idiot, Merlin."

"I know…" Merlin laughed before stopping because of the pain. "'ou always say that."

And all too soon, Merlin was still. And Arthur was shaking him and someone was screaming and the noise seemed to be coming from his own throat. He clutched Merlin's body to himself, hugging his servant, finally seeing the protector he had never really appreciated. He finally knew Merlin's secrets but it was too late.

* * *

"My father was a great king. However, he was a man blinded by hatred and resentment. He never truly understood. I am not my father, which is why I'm making this announcement. From now until the end of my reign as king, I hereby declare that those practicing sorcery will not be persecuted by law on order of the king. Those with magic are free to practice it and live in peace without threat from the kingdom. You will not be hunted, you will not be chased, you will not be executed. You are finally free."

As Arthur concluded his speech, he reached into his pocket, where he could just feel the red cloth of the neckerchief. Then, after blinking hard for a few seconds, the King of Camelot turned away from his subjects and went back inside.

**AND THE END. I'm not sure if I'm as satisfied with this fic as I'd like to be but this is all I've got. So… review review review :3 because one good person saying something good about this fic can make me feel like I've actually accomplished something here. Thank you so much for reading x**

**- Suppusan **


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